


Second Star to the Right

by Sweetestcondition



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Disney - All Media Types, Peter Pan & Related Fandoms, The Little Mermaid - All Media Types
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Harry Hook Flirts, Harry Hook-centric, Harry can sing, How many times will she threaten him with his own hook?, Little Mermaid Elements, Pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-21 14:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30023271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetestcondition/pseuds/Sweetestcondition
Summary: Melody hated pirates. She always had. She'd probably inherited the bias from her mom, Queen Ariel. Definitely a mermaid thing. Whatever it was, she'd managed to avoid interacting with any of their sort since the barrier was destroyed last year. Until today, when she was forced to partner with the worst of the lot, Hook's son, on a class project.But when her locket goes missing, Melody begins to see that some of the students at Auradon U are hiding things from her. Harry Hook most of all.And she can't decide if Harry's flirty touches are just a means to an end or if there is something real behind those piercing stares he keeps giving her. The worst part is she's not sure she'll be alive long enough to find out because another, bigger threat has come for her. And, you guessed it, it involves pirates. Yes. More pirates.This was going to be a long semester.(Harry Hook x Melody)Note - rating may change if this heats up ;)
Relationships: Harry Hook/Melody, Harry Hook/Original Character(s), Harry Hook/Original Female Character(s), Jane/Carlos de Vil
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Hooked

Melody hated pirates.

She always had.

Even before she had met one in person, she hated them.

She guessed she could blame that on her parents. She'd probably inherited this particular prejudice genetically. Ancestral bias has a way of creeping through the family tree, tainting the blood of relatives down the line. And mermaids were pretty much raised to despise these types of sea-faring ruffians. Her mother, Queen Ariel, was no different. In fact, Melody was pretty sure her mother still couldn't stand to be in the same room with any of the pirates from the Isle of the Lost.

And she could finally see why.

Melody scrunched her dark brows together in disgust, trying not to be distracted by the mud-caked leather boots propped onto the chair next to her. She tried not to be affected by the incessant _clink clink clink_ of the pirate's hook hitting the metal legs of his desk. She was attempting to focus only on the oceanography professor's voice as she detailed the importance of the coral reefs surrounding Auradon.

Melody had been so excited to finally take a class she knew she would enjoy. She loved the subject and she even knew the instructor, who also happened to be her aunt Attina. Her aunt had received a special magical pass from Atlantica to lecture on the subject for the entire semester at Auradon University.

Yup, her aunt had traded her fins for legs just to teach this class. And Melody had been beyond excited for the semester to begin.

Until _he_ waltzed in like he owned the entire classroom on the very first day and claimed the chair at her right side.

Harry Hook. Son of Captain Hook and the most insufferably arrogant human she'd ever had the displeasure of sitting next to, had somehow been accepted into Auradon's most prestigious university.

King Ben could shove the Second Chance Higher Education Program where the sun didn't shine.

She squeezed her golden scallop locket in her fist. Feeling its weight in her hand and the tug of the chain against her neck usually helped calm her. It worked now and she managed to pull in a breath.

"- tell us the answer to the question of the hour, eh Melody?" Professor Attina leaned over her lectern, a lock of hair falling from the starfish clip holding her bun together.

Oh no. She'd missed the question. She'd been _daydreaming._ Actually, day _seething_ was more accurate.

Melody rubbed her face, as if she could scrub the blush from her cheeks. "I'm sorry Aunt Attina… um, I mean, Professor Attina, could you repeat the question?"

Harry leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. "Looks like our wee Princess is findin' this lecture as riveting as I am, Professor."

Aunt Attina's eyes narrowed, shooting the pirate a look that could freeze the seas.

"Harrison James Hook," she snarled. "You may be new to our education system, but that does not give your snarky mouth free reign over my classroom."

The pirate plastered on an expression of fake-hurt, bringing his hook to rest over his heart. "I dinnae mean teh disrespect the leading expert in all things ocean," Harry drawled, in his honey-thick brogue. "I truly apologize for any disruption I may hae caused."

A sickening wave of giggles erupted from the other side of the classroom. Some of Auradon's prettiest princesses were probably eating this up. The bad boy act was still very much in demand. After all, it had only been a year living with all the villain kids once the barrier keeping them separate had been destroyed. The villain kids were still novel enough to attract ample attention from the Auradonians. What had further fed the novelty was the fact that most of the villains had opted not to fully integrate, choosing to form their own villages across Auradon instead.

Unfortunately for Melody, Harry hook had opted to integrate.

"Well," Aunt Attina huffed, "At least someone has been paying attention in Goodness 101. You are certainly improving in the apology department."

Melody wanted to scream. Didn't her aunt see how dangerous it was to let this behavior slide? The pirate should have been ejected from class for that comment at the very least. But somehow everyone seemed to let it go. He'd managed to erase his insolent words with one flash of that swashbuckling smile.

Aunt Attina pursed her lips and returned her gaze to Melody.

"Back to my question, then, Melody, I was just asking whether you could tell us more about the role of ocean temperature and the health of the coral reefs around Auradon."

She scrubbed her sweaty palms against her jeans, as she mulled over a coherent response. But before she could get a chance, Harry interrupted again. "Temperature doesnae make much difference to a mermaid though, does it Princess? Thermoregulation and all that."

This time Melody actually turned to scowl at the pirate. She was pretty sure this villain kid had no idea what thermoregulation was. She doubted the guy could count backwards from ten without losing track of which number he was on.

The pirate quirked a lip into a half-smile, his bright eyes made somehow more striking by his characteristic heavy eyeliner.

She clenched her teeth so hard, her jaw began to ache. Someone so obnoxious had no right to eyes as blue as his.

Seeing her caught in his gaze, that cheeky sac of chum actually had the audacity to wink at her.

Melody suppressed a groan.

"I'm just teasin' yeh Princess, dinnae let it gum yer sweet little gills."

Oh seas, she was going to need to transfer. A whole half a year of this would be intolerable.

She had enough trouble fitting in with the others. She'd always been a bit of a loner – talking to fish when she was a kid had been just the beginning of her social awkwardness. She did not need an out-of-control pirate contributing to her anxiety in her first semester of college.

But if she transferred, that might put her behind. She needed Intro to Oceanography as a prerequisite for her higher-level studies on Marine Science.

"Melody, should I try back with you later?" Aunt Attina prompted, her smile looking more forced this time.

Melody took a deep breath and attempted to find her brain. "No, professor. It's ok, I read the chapter. The text states that a spike of 1 to 2° Celsius in ocean temperatures sustained over several weeks can lead to bleaching. If corals are bleached for prolonged periods, they eventually die. Coral bleaching events often lead to the death of large amounts of corals which would disrupt the entire ecosystem."

She snuck a glance at the pirate. Ha, that had shut him up. She might be socially awkward, but she was probably one of the best students in the class.

"That's right, Melody. Which is why it is important to regulate the types of energy production on Auradon to reduce carbon emissions."

This launched her aunt into a lengthy discussion of coral reefs on the island. Melody was familiar with all of them from books, but she'd only seen two of the reefs in real life – the ones in Triton's Bay. Her parents didn't let her adventure much after her run-in with Morgana, Ursula's sister, when she was younger. And no matter how many years passed, they were still super overprotective.

 _Were_ overprotective she reminded herself. This is college. Her parents weren't here to supervise.

She was nineteen now and her life was finally _hers_ to live.

"Which leads me to the introduction of your final project. Throughout the semester, you are to research one of the six coral reef beds surrounding Auradon. The Eastern or Western Coral Reefs in Triton's Bay, Skull Rock Reef, The Reef along the Straight of Ursula, The Neverland Ridge, or Hook's Bay Reef along the sunken Jolly Roger."

Melody's heart sped up. This was what she'd been so excited about. The chance to research, to get out on the seas and really discover the life that lay below the waves. It could lead to a career in research, maybe even a ship of her own to use for her research projects, away from the eyes of Auradon and finally free to…

"You will choose a partner to work with and present your findings at the end of the semester. All of the details, including due dates along the way can be found in your syllabus."

Her heart was now racing for a different reason. Students were already turning and looking to each other to partner up. Carlos had paired with Jane. Some gorgeous tanned princess from the Borderlands paired with Audrey, likely bonding over their matching pink handbags. Everyone was looking at someone else which left Melody with…

A metallic scrape announced the appearance of a shiny hook on her desk. She jumped at the sound, looking up to find Harry Hook grinning down at her from where he'd perched himself on the end of her desk.

He dragged his hook lightly along her upper arm, the cold metal making her gasp as a shiver of gooseflesh erupted across her skin. She prayed a silent prayer that he couldn't see it.

So much for appearing indifferent.

He walked his fingers up her arm, her shoulder, across her face and pressed his index finger against her nose.

"Looks like it's just you and me left, sweet gills."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What am I doing writing a Descendants Fan Fiction? I honestly don't know. I just know that I had the urge to write this idea, and I haven't written anything on any of my fanfiction projects for a long time. I've had lots of family loss over the last year and I've struggled with writer's block for a long time. So, when a fun little idea crossed my mind, I figured it would be a good place to find my muse again. Maybe this little drabble will help me find my way back to my other projects. Besides, who doesn't love mermaids and pirates? Don't skewer me for inaccuracies, I'm new here. Haha. And with that, buckle in for a slow burn, enemies to lovers adventure starring my favorite Descendant, Harry Hook.


	2. Locket

"Do not _ever_ touch me again, pirate," Melody warned, trying to lace her voice with as much menace as she could muster.

But instead of recoiling from her venomous tone, he cocked his head in amusement, his maniacal grin growing even wider. She shook her head in irritation just as Aunt Attina dismissed the class, thankfully before the pirate could respond.

Melody shot up from her chair, scooped up her book, and crammed it into her bag. She dashed for the door at the rear of the classroom without a backwards glance at the shameless scallywag sprawled across her desk.

She took the musty stone staircase down to the main floor and out onto the university grounds. The sun's heat was an immediate balm to her frazzled nerves and she breathed deeply, inhaling the freshly cut grass. And beneath it all, the salty brine of the ocean.

This was the main reason she'd chosen Auradon University. Aside from the fact that it had the only oceanography program, it was right on the coast. Princess or not, this was how she knew she didn't belong in a castle. She couldn't even breathe properly unless she was near the sea.

She stood staring out across the gardens, over the rocks and hedges lining the edge of the campus, and out across the sparkling tips of the waves in the distance.

An arm hooked through her own and her heart flip flopped against her ribcage. If this guy didn't leave her alone…

"Woah Roomie, it's just me!" Jane smiled and turned her so they were facing each other. "I was just trying to see what you thought about today's class. You ran out so fast I wasn't sure I'd catch up! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright, I just – "

"See you later, Jane!" Her boyfriend, Carlos, son of the infamous Cruella de Vil, was waving from over Jane's shoulder, hefting his gym bag with one hand and waving to his girlfriend with the other.

Jane waved back and Carlos headed toward practice.

Melody had been so relieved when Jane introduced herself as her roommate during Move In Week. You really couldn't ask for a better roommate than the Fairy Godmother's Daughter. She was super organized, kindhearted, and a great student.

She could think of several roommates who would have been much, much worse.

And almost on cue, one of these much much worse individuals strode across the garden, her turquoise braids trailing behind her like breaking waves. It was Uma, Ursula's daughter. Uma, who just so happened to be the daughter of her family's worst enemy. And of course, if Uma was nearby, then her first mate Harry Hook would not be far behind.

Yes. Melody was most certainly cultivating a dislike for pirates during her time in college.

Jane followed her line of sight, watching from across the grassy courtyard as Harry slung an arm around Uma's shoulder. "They're harmless, Melody," Jane said. "Trust me."

"Listen, Jane," Melody began, walking farther down the path and leading them out of sight of the pirates, "I know you have a history with the villain kids and Carlos does seem sweet, but he's different from them. You know my family history with _her_ mom." Melody scrunched her nose as she glanced back in Uma's direction. "And I don't trust Hook's kid as far as I can throw him."

"Uma is not her mother. You can't define her by her family's choices. And we should give Harry the same chance to define himself," Jane said. "I'm surprised you are so bothered by them. I've never seen you so riled up. I thought you'd be excited about that oceanography project," Jane said.

"I was! Until I got stuck with the only person in the class I cannot stand to be next to. His ego takes up so much space in his head, I'm not sure there's much room left for any brain. And I cannot afford to fail this class."

Jane laughed at that. "I really can't argue on that point."

Melody smiled. It was good to have a friend here.

"Did I ever tell you what Harry said to me when we first met?" Jane asked, as they continued to walk the path back to their dorms.

"Do I even want to know?"

"He somehow managed to use the words duckling and ravishing in the same pick-up line."

Melody pressed a hand to her forehead. "Why does that not surprise me at all," she shook her head, laughing. "What a lunatic."

They laughed some more and the awkwardness she'd felt in the classroom started to melt away.

Jane's eyes sparkled with tears from laughing so hard. "You should have seen the look on Carlos' face."

"I just can't believe some of the girls around here seem to actually enjoy his flirting. Who buys his crap anyway?"

"Come on Mel, you know why he gets away with it. You have to admit he's handsome," Jane said, raising her eyebrows. "And even Evie used to fawn over his wardrobe."

Melody bit the inside of her lip as she considered this. "Okay, I did kind of dig his jacket today. But he smells like the back of a liquor cabinet and I'm pretty sure he was drunk."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Now you're being dramatic, come on," she said. "Lets get back to the room. I've got so much homework to do."

They began down the winding flagstone path through the middle of campus that would eventually lead to the student housing. The breeze hissed through the coastal pines and she felt her tension dissolve even further.

"Do you miss them all?" Melody asked, thinking back to a conversation the two had shared last weekend. "Your old friends? Evie and Mal and everyone?"

Once the question had escaped her lips, she wished she could take it back. It was a beautiful day and Jane probably didn't want to talk about who she missed. Melody always had a way of stalling conversation and making things awkward.

She was surprised when Jane seemed to answer so quickly. "Every day. But Queen Mal and King Ben are busy ruling, and Evie's clothing business is really taking off so they all made the right choice. Besides, we've got lots of holidays and weekends to catch up. It's not far to Auradon city."

She wondered what it would be like to have so many close friends, two-legged friends at least. She had plenty of the flippered variety.

Melody fiddled with the end of one dark strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail as she stared off to the South towards the sea. "My parents are not going to be happy to hear that my final grade in this class will be half decided by a pirate."

"If there's anything Carlos has taught me, its, 'what my mother doesn't know can't hurt her,' Jane said. "Just don't say anything. Who knows, Harry might surprise you."

The idea of more surprises from Harry Hook had Melody's fingers twitching nervously. She reached for her locket to feel its comfortable weight. She reached again. Nothing. She looked down, searching underneath the neckline of her black button-up blouse, fumbling fingers underneath the cami, running them over her chest before she began pulling at her clothes, her hair, to see if it had fallen off somewhere.

No.

No.

It was gone.

She turned suddenly, retracing her steps back along the stone walkway. She weaved between students, not caring how insane she looked.

"What is it? Mel?" She had just barely registered Jane's voice. How long had she been calling her name? "Mel, what's wrong?!"

She whirled around, facing Jane, heart pounding and a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. "My locket! It's gone! I just had it. I know I had it in class."

"Okay, don't panic. Let's just retrace your steps."

They moved backwards toward where they'd stood in conversation a moment ago before retreating up the stairs to search the now empty classroom.

Nothing.

Melody sank down on a desk, burying her face in her hands. "What am I going to do?"

"Are you sure you had it in here?"

"Yes!" Tears stung behind her eyes. It was taking a ridiculous amount of energy not to become a blubbering puddle on the classroom floor. That locket was her most prized possession, she never took it off. The sapphire inside was infused with her grandfather, King Triton's, magic, linking her to the sea, allowing her to assume her mermaid form to travel to Atlantica whenever she wanted. How could she have been so careless? "I remember fiddling with it when my Aunt was grilling me on coral."

"Okay, and then, do you remember having it after that?"

"Well, after that, Aunt Attina announced our project. Then Harry scooted over here and sat on…" Melody felt all of the blood drain from her face as the realization sank in. "Oh that thieving son of a sea slug. I cannot believe he would have the nerve to…"

"Now, hold on a second," Jane was saying, her voice even and her blue eyes sharp. "Are you sure he stole it and you didn't just drop it? I mean, that's a pretty big accusation. You know the villain kids are being watched _very_ closely and something like this could get him expelled."

But Melody knew exactly when he might have done it. The pirate had distracted her with his hook, then with the light touch of his fingers. He could have snatched it then when she was flustered and trying to get away from him.

"Ninety nine point nine percent sure, Jane."

"Well then, lets do one more sweep of the grounds to cover that last tenth of a percent. Then, we'll try to catch Carlos after R.O.A.R. practice. He knows Harry from back on the island. We'll figure something out."

Melody clenched her hands into fists at her sides. "Either that or I'm going to figure out how to skewer him with his own hook."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've written about 8 chapters of this story so far, so I know I can post regular updates until then at least. At some point, I'm going to find the courage to finish Haunted as well. Let me know what you think :)


	3. Thief

Jane helped Melody re-trace her steps again to try to find the locket. Of course, they had no luck, lending more evidence to the theory that the pirate had, indeed, swiped her most prized possession.

But before they went to find Carlos to ask for his help in questioning Harry, Jane encouraged Melody to have lunch. Jane already knew her well enough to understand that Melody's hanger knew no boundaries. And a hangry conversation with a thieving pirate was not going to end well for anyone involved.

They opted to skip the packed cafeteria, instead choosing a little stand outside in the rose garden that sold grab and go sandwiches. They ate in the dappled shade of a tall oak, in mostly companionable silence. Melody was too busy scarfing her sandwich down and seething about the recent theft to focus on having a conversation.

With her belly full and hanger levels more under control, Melody stood, brushing the crumbs off her jeans. She turned to her roommate, who was frowning at nothing in particular out in the distance. Jane seemed pre-occupied with her own thoughts which was very unlike her.

Melody hoped it didn't have anything to do with her own standoffish attitude. She _had_ been pretty closed off over the last hour, especially considering Jane had dropped everything to help her find the locket and she hadn't even acknowledged her friend's kindness.

 _No wonder I have such a hard time keeping friends_.

Melody tended to get so wrapped up in what she was doing, she sometimes failed to consider how other people felt. At least she'd realized it this time, a small battle won in the constant war going on within herself. How did other people seem to do this friend thing so naturally?

She offered a hand to help the other girl up. "Jane, thank you so much for helping me. I know you had a million other things you could be doing right now."

Jane stood with a smile, brushing away some crumbs off Melody's shirt that she'd missed. "I'm happy to help, roomie."

Jane led the way down the winding corridors near the athletic pavilion where she knew the Royal Order of Auradon Regiment, or R.O.A.R., would be practicing.

As they approached, she heard the clank of ringing steel before she ever saw the team. The two girls emerged onto a balcony overlooking the open-aired stone atrium below. Columns crawling with ivy circled the platform where the team was practicing. The clash of swords and the grunts and calls of the players echoed across the stone as the two girls leaned over the railing to take a peek.

Melody watched Jane's eyes flit over each body down below until she found her focus. Her blue eyes widened and her mouth softened as though she'd found the center of her gravity and she just, stood there, staring.

Melody swallowed, turning away from the intimacy of the moment. Carlos didn't even know Jane was here yet, but Melody still felt like she was intruding on something private.

So, she turned her gaze toward the team down below. She always enjoyed watching R.O.A.R. in practice back at Seaside Academy. She'd wanted to try it herself, but their team had been all male. It seemed Auradon Prep had managed to smash those barriers and it had carried into the collegiate level because she saw three girls on the team here.

There was Lonnie, who seemed to be the most experienced of the three, the Borderlands princess, and another petite girl with short pink hair she didn't know. Carlos was sparring with Chad Charming while Jay, son of Jafar, was paired up with none other than Harry Hook.

Her fingertips tingled as her blood seemed to heat up. That thieving, louse-ridden dog. She'd never taken him for a team sports kind of guy, what with having to follow a rulebook and all, but then again, if anyone would be able to find a way to cheat at sword finding without getting caught, it would be Harry Hook.

She couldn't mask her scowl as she followed the pirate's movements. He was dressed like the others, in the black and yellow uniforms of Auradon U which were standard for the team. And as much as she hated to admit it, he filled out the uniform nicely. The muscles of his biceps were hard to miss, even through his sleeved jersey, as he leveraged himself in a positional skirmish against his sparring partner. The pirate and Jay stood the tallest in the room, and it seemed both were equally matched in terms of strength.

Jay strafed right and attempted to bring his blade across his opponent's flank, but the pirate was quick, surprisingly so. Their swords crashed together and as they were engaged, Harry leaned forward and pulled his protective mask up, staring at Jay as his mouth moved to form words that Melody couldn't hear from up above. But she didn't need to hear him to know he was taunting the other man.

Jay's shoulders heaved in what she thought was a laugh as he lunged forward again. This time, the pirate seemed to anticipate the move and spun gracefully aside, coming back across to grab Jay's sword arm and wrench the weapon from his grasp. It had happened so fast, Melody wasn't sure how he'd done it.

Melody also wasn't sure how long she stood there mesmerized after that, watching open-mouthed as the pirate sashayed his way around the stone arena with various sparring partners. One opponent after another seemed just one step behind, one heartbeat too late to keep away from the pirate's blade. Harry Hook was clearly made for sword fighting and she was grudgingly captivated.

Jane cleared her throat, breaking the spell.

Melody turned to see her friend's eyebrows raised, her lip turned up into a smirk.

She fought the heat creeping up into her cheeks. Caught ogling the pirate who'd just stolen from her. Stormy seas, she was truly losing her mind.

"Let's head down to the ground level, looks like they're finishing up. Maybe you can catch Harry on the way out and ask him about the locket yourself."

Her stomach twisted at the thought of such a confrontation. Maybe she could get Carlos to ask him for her. Or Jay. Even Jay seemed a safer bet. She didn't know any of them well and the thought of the pending interaction set her skin on fire. Pins and needles in her fingers and toes.

She reached for her locket out of habit.

Coming up empty she attempted to breathe.

Jane shot her a concerned look, then grabbed her hand and led her down the staircase.

Several agonizing minutes later, the team began pouring out of the locker rooms, hair damp and cheeks flushed, wearing their regular clothes.

Carlos and Jay were the first out with Dude prancing proudly behind them.

Carlos smiled his wide boyish grin when he spotted Jane. He doubled his pace and wrapped her up in a hug before planting a kiss on her cheek. "Hey guys, what are you up to?" he asked.

Jane waited a beat for Melody to explain, but the words lodged in her throat.

After a quick glance at her, Jane started in on an explanation. "Melody lost her locket somewhere between Oceanography and the Central Courtyard. Can you ask around to see if anyone's seen it?"

Carlos nodded. "Sure, there's a few on the team in our class, let's see if anyone found anything."

They hung around the tunnel leading from the locker rooms as they waited for more of the team to emerge.

Carlos asked the Borderlands princess and Lonnie as they walked out together. They shook their heads. More students poured from the athletic wing and more heads shook as Carlos and Jay continued the questioning.

Something clenched tight in her throat when she saw the pirate striding towards them.

"Hey Harry," Jay called. "Have you seen Melody's locket? She lost it after Oceanography."

The pirate swaggered closer, twisting his hook in his hands as he trailed his gaze across each of them. He freed up one hand to slap Jay on the back. "Cannae say that I have it, mate." He locked those blue eyes onto hers, and raked his fingers through damp, messy hair. "Yeh should be keepin' a better eye on summat important like that, eh sweet gills?"

Oh, he was hiding something alright. A glint of mischief lay just below the surface and if she just had the guts to press him on it, she might discover some of the many secrets those eyes seemed to hold. But then, his gaze seemed to sharpen, to the point where she was sure he could see right through her, somehow pulling every insecurity to the surface of her emotions and she had to look away. Feeling breathless, and even more irritated than she had been before, she stared at the tops of her Chucks.

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she forced some words out. "If you all could just keep an eye out, I'd appreciate it."

"Will do, Melody," Carlos said, his warm smile managing to soothe some of her nerves.

"You guys feel like hanging out?" Jay asked. "Lonnie, Tarah, me and Harry were talking about heading down to the sand to grill tonight."

"I'm totally in," Jane said, all thoughts of homework forgotten, and she looked at Carlos expectantly.

Carlos shrugged. "I guess we're grilling."

Everyone was looking at Melody next. "I… I can't tonight. I have a ton of homework."

"Ah, come on," Jane urged.

Harry was still staring at her. Seas, why did he have to keep looking at her like that?

"Maybe later," she said. "I'll meet you guys down there if I finish up in time."

Melody was very skilled at avoiding social interactions without sounding too rude. She'd had a lot of practice.

"I'm gonna walk Mel back to our room and put my books away," Jane said.

"Yeah, I don't really want to carry my bag around all day, either," Jay said.

The group walked together back to the dorms, Melody feeling Harry's eyes on her the whole way. She briefly considered asking him what his problem was, but didn't want to risk upsetting the others. It was hard enough for her to make friends without alienating all of them over a stupid pirate.

At last, the guys split to go to their rooms while the girls continued on to the opposite side of the building.

As they rounded a corner, they nearly collided with Uma and a tall blonde girl in a bandana.

All she needed, more pirates.

"Hey Uma," Jane said.

"Hello ladies," Uma answered, a little coolly.

"Oh, hey, I asked some of the others," Jane said, "but we didn't get a chance to ask you. Have you seen Melody's locket? She lost it somewhere after Oceanography."

A flash of recognition distorted Uma's cool expression for long enough to make Melody suspicious before Ursula's daughter seemed to reel herself in.

"What does it look like?" Uma asked.

Melody forced herself to meet the other girls' eyes. "Shaped like a scallop. It has my name engraved on it."

Uma took way too long to respond. Her eyes darted between them like she was waging some internal battle.

"Gold?" Uma asked.

Oh, she was drawing this out. This little sea witch knew something.

"Yes." Melody's voice was clipped and sharp as a knife.

Finally, Uma looked at Jane and her hard expression softened. "Harry mentioned something about it."

Melody sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. "That slimy eel. I knew he stole it!"

"Hold on a sec, Princess." Uma held up a hand. "Harry told me he borrowed it and here you are saying he stole it." She scrunched her lips together and brought her hands to her hips. "There must be some misunderstanding."

"There's no misunderstanding," Melody said, struggling to keep the snarl out of her tone. "He never asked to borrow it. So if he has it, that means it's stolen."

Uma took two steps forward and cocked her head to study her. "Alright. Let's just walk over to the guys' side and clear this up right now. There's no way we'll be able to decide what happens until we get all the facts."

"Sounds good to me," Melody said, knowing full well what was going to happen when she got all the facts.

She was going to kill Harry Hook.

* * *

The girls opted to put their bags down in their rooms first. Melody took a minute to check her reflection, retying her ponytail and applying a fresh coat of lip gloss.

If she was going to murder a boy tonight, she might as well look good doing it.

Once she was sure she was presentable again, she and Jane followed Uma back down the outdoor trail to the other end of the student dorms where the guys' rooms were. The afternoon sun was hanging lower in the sky now, and a light breeze sent leaves skittering down the stony path ahead of them.

Jane nudged Melody as they neared the entrance to Harry's floor. "I'm sure there's some explanation for all of this, Mel."

Melody found words were difficult just then. "I'm sure."

Jane swallowed nervously and Melody had to wonder if Fairy Godmother's Daughter had a sixth sense when it came to impending violence.

They came to door number seven, where Uma had explained that Harry, Gil, and Jay shared a dorm room. Uma had her fist raised, poised to knock, but hesitated a moment. She lifted an eyebrow and craned her neck closer to listen. Music was coming from inside the room, and if this was Harry, Gil, and Jay's room, it was not the type of music Melody would expect. At all.

The cheery refrain of classic surfing music drifted unmistakably from behind the door.

She was sure that pirates did not tolerate music like this and figured maybe Jay was alone and just had strange taste in music.

Uma did finally knock, and the thief poked his head out the door.

"Uma," Harry purred, his eyes lighting up when he saw his friend. "Come in!"

"Is that your music?" Uma said, her face twisted into something bordering on disgust, like she'd eaten something rancid.

"Aye," Harry said, eyes wide with excitement, his smile bordering on maniacal. "What's the matter, Uma? Yeh dinnae like it?"

The music was bubbly, positive and fun, everything she least expected a pirate to listen to.

"Let's just say I've never heard anything like it," Uma said.

"Come in then," he said, waving all of them into his room. "Gil brought it in last night. Says it comes from summat kinda place called California. Tinkerbell's daughter smuggled it back for 'em, been listenin' to it since then. Even Jay likes it."

Jay was making a face, trying to push a messy pile of clothes across the floor with the side of his foot, kicking it to a corner already half buried in clutter. Melody wagered a guess that was Gil's side of the room.

Harry's side was much neater, decorated in similar style to his wardrobe. Black and red and lots of it. Tapestries and fabrics hung like sails in every corner. Skulls, crossbones, steel rapiers, and countless trinkets and statuettes decorated the surfaces. And books. Lots of books, which was surprising considering she'd doubted his ability to count to ten earlier in the day.

Melody actually had to suppress a smile as she glanced back at the pirate. His joy in the way he swayed to the music was so contagious it was difficult to remember that she was about to kill him. Especially with the upbeat singer crooning in the background.

_If everybody had an ocean_

_Across the USA_

_Then everybody'd be surfin'_

_Like Californ-I-A_

"Where is Gil, anyway," Uma said, narrowing her eyes.

"He's down at the pub, scrubbin' tables and makin' the customers squirm I would wager," Harry said. "And what about yeh three bonnie lassies? To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Do you know where Melody's locket is?" And thank the seas for Uma, she knew just how to cut to the chase. If anyone could put Harry in his place it would be her.

Harry squared himself to Uma and answered quickly. "Aye, I do."

Melody's eyes widened in disbelief. "See, I told you he was lying!" She looked at Jane who seemed just as shocked as she was. "He had it the whole time!"

The anger rose inside of her quickly, like the tide coming in, washing away her common sense. Her pulse pounded in her ears and she was close to her edge. The nerve of this pirate, to blatantly lie and stand there like his deceit didn't make any difference at all.

"Naw, I dinnae have it, I already told yeh that," he said, closing the space between them so that she was forced to look up at him. "Jay asked if I had seen yer locket and I said I dinnae have it, which was the truth. But I do know where it is. It's in Jay's bag."

"In _my_ bag?" Jay put his hands up in surrender, gesturing that he had nothing to do with this turn of events.

"And how did it get in Jay's bag?" Melody asked, teeth gritted as she used every last ounce of strength to keep from exploding.

The pirate took one step closer until she could feel his body heat. The smell of him invaded her senses, spices and leather and her head spun with anger and, whatever the hell else was happening to her traitorous body. His eyes never left hers as he dragged the back of his fingers down her cheek, stopping to cradle her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "I put it there, sweet gills."

With those words, the dam holding her anger back finally crumbled down and a tsunami of pent-up rage was released. And Melody, shy, socially awkward, _Princess_ Melody, actually launched herself at the pirate, fists first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think about the story so far. It would be nice to know I'm not all alone on this little pirate voyage!


	4. Neverland

Melody actually landed a decent hit against that pretty little pirate face, too, before he managed to block her.

Her attack had been so unexpected that Harry Hook, all six feet of him, toppled over like a falling tree, taking a lamp and a pile of school papers with him.

This would have been all well and good, but as he fell, he grabbed her to try to keep his balance and she came crashing down after him.

Even so, she wasn't nearly done.

She got a few more good licks in, pounding at his chest and arm before he was able to seize her wrists in a vise-like grip and flip her over, essentially pinning her against his dresser. But her knee was free, and if she could just wedge it up a little more and add some real power behind it, she could get a good kick in…

"Now, now, sweet gills. Those are the family jewels, those are. I winnae be lettin' yeh have yer way with those just yet."

His vulgar reproach only served to infuriate her more and she put everything she had into breaking free.

Jane's voice sounded frantic from across the room. "Stop Mel, stop! This won't help!"

But at this point even Uma, who had initially stepped in to try to help break them up, backed off and was now just standing with her hands on her hips watching how this would play out.

Melody's voice tore from her throat as she continued to try to pull free. "Harry Hook, you thieving son of a bitch!"

"Tut, tut. Language, watch the language. Me virgin ears cannae be exposed to such vile locution."

The pirate leveraged his body weight, effectively putting an end to her struggling, creating a new problem. She was now pressed so flush against him, she could feel each heaving breath he took. Each exhalation tickled her ear and after a few more heartbeats, a strange knot was beginning to wind deep in her belly.

"And you say you're Ariel's daughter, huh?" Uma said, letting out a long whistle.

"Nice to see a princess with a wee bit of fire in her blood, eh Uma?" Harry's voice carried an excited lilt, and he adjusted his hold so he could look at Melody then, those eyes like sea glass cutting through her barriers again.

"Let. Me. Go!"

"Not 'til you promise yeh winnae try and hurt me. Though I have to admit I enjoyed this little dance, I dinnae want to fight yeh. Just let me explain what happened with the locket."

Great. She had picked a fight with the only person in this University who somehow enjoyed being punched in the face. Served her right.

And that knowledge, that he was somehow enjoying this, was the bucket of cold water she needed to douse her fiery anger.

She dragged in a shaky breath and exhaled, letting herself go limp in his hold.

"That's it, lass," he said, coaxing her as though she was an unruly bronco that needed breaking. He guided her to sit, and then, slowly unlocked his grip on her wrists. "I promise yeh, I was meanin' to do a reappearin' trick with yer locket. But yeh scooted outta that classroom so fast, yeh hardly heard me callin' after yeh!"

She rubbed at her aching wrists and glared at him. "Why'd you take it to begin with?!"

"I was tryin' to make yeh smile with a little slight of hand, then maybe youdda been more inclined to talk to me is all."

"Why should I trust your word on that, pirate?" she said, fixing him with her coldest stare. "You don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to theft."

"Because of me gorgeous face?" And his crooked grin did do something unexpected in that moment, reducing the urge to kill him by at least half.

Jay laughed from across the room. "Well, it's not your history of kindness and giving, that's for sure."

"I'm insulted, mate." Harry feigned hurt as he looked down at his hands, tightening the straps on his fingerless gloves and adjusting the ridiculous number of rings he always wore. "Yeh know we all did our best over there across the pond."

Harry pushed himself to stand, smoothing his long, sleeveless coat and offering a hand to help her up.

"No hard feelings, lass," he said, rubbing his left eye with his free hand. "Even though you dunt me good. That one'll leave a mark, I'd wager."

She glared at his outstretched hand and pushed herself up on her own.

"You're scrappy in a fisticuff I'll give yeh that," he said.

"She's what?" Jane said, seeming more worn out than either she or Harry did after the scuffle.

"Good in a fist fight," Uma translated. "The more excited he gets, the thicker the accent gets. Tone it down, Harry."

"'Tis true though. If I hadnae been twice your size, you wouldda clobbered me."

Then he smiled that dashing smile and Melody was beginning to see how this pirate got away with as much as he did.

"You steal from me again, Harry, and I promise you a peg leg to go with that hook. Now give me back my locket."

* * *

The others were headed down to grill at the beach. But despite her friends pleading, Melody really did need to get some homework done first. So, once she had her locket back, they parted ways and Melody spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening studying. She reviewed her oceanography notes and read the next chapter to prepare for lecture.

By the time Melody had put in the work on all of her classes, the sun had long since set and she was sure her friends would have left the beach by now. But she was restless and needed to get out anyway, so she followed the well-lit path from the dorms down through the east side of campus toward the shore. She turned her locket over and over in her hands as she walked, feeling so much better with its familiar weight hanging around her neck. She nodded at a few faces she knew as she strode along the path. There were always students out at this time, even after dinner the walkways were well traveled. But she didn't stop to talk with anyone.

She paused at the top of the steep wooden steps leading down the cliffside toward the expanse of sand below. She loved the view from up here. The way the moonlight reflected off the wave tips in the distance made the entire ocean seem made of magic. It could be diamonds sparkling in the distance or fairies dancing way out on the horizon. Maybe tonight would be a good night for a swim.

She stowed the thought for later and inhaled one more breath of sea air before heading down the narrow stairway. There were a few places Jane and Carlos liked to go, and since they'd been involved with the planning, she tried there first. The grill and tables closest to the cliffs were empty, but there was a good size bonfire still burning at one of their spots closer to the surf.

The buttery light cast by the lamps lining the stairway gave way to moonlight as she headed toward the ocean. After a few steps, she took off her shoes, feeling the cool evening sand between her toes as she continued on, adjusting her course to head toward the only fire on the beach. Out here, the moon provided most of the light and it was in full form tonight. She hadn't seen it this bright since she'd arrived at Auradon U.

Shouts from a night-time volleyball game farther down the beach carried over the crashing sound of the waves. As she got closer, she recognized the silhouette of someone sitting cross-legged near what was left of a bonfire. Not Jane or Carlos, the figure was too big. Jay maybe?

She got closer, near enough now to see the glint of moonlight off something metallic in the figure's hand. Oh seas.

A metallic hook.

She groaned. She'd walked all this way and Harry Hook was the last one left at the beach.

Luckily, he was facing away from her toward the fire, so he would never know she'd approached. She turned on her heel and started back toward the cliffs.

The low drone of a male singing voice carried gently on the gusty breeze, mixing with the sound of the tide.

The voice, an unearthly and haunting, compelled her to stop where she stood. The evocative tune wound around her emotions and she was powerless to turn away, frozen in the sand as the song washed over her.

She stood transfixed for several minutes, before her feet began moving on their own, shuffling back toward the bonfire to get closer to that voice. The words of the song rose up over the waves, weaving in perfect harmony with the organic sounds of the surf.

It took her longer than it should have to register that the voice belonged to Harry Hook.

" _Whenever I was frightened or ever felt alone  
I turned to the night sky at a star I call my own  
Somewhere I could run to, just across the Milky Way  
If you like, I could take you  
It's just a lightyear and a day"_

She was only a few strides from Harry then. He was staring into the flames and she knew, now, that if she continued on for a few more steps, he could see her from the corner of his eye. But she didn't care anymore. All that mattered was hearing more of his song.

Melody was no stranger to singing. It was her namesake for seas sake. Her mother had one of the most beautiful voices in Auradon, and Melody had inherited her gift for music. But this voice… she'd never heard a man's voice as full and rich and expressive. The song was so captivating, it rendered her powerless to turn away. So, she closed the space between them, until she was right next to Harry, close enough to touch.

She watched the firelight play shadows across his face as she looked down at him where he sat. His eyes reflected the tendrils of flame as they licked toward the moon and he seemed mythical in this moment, beyond pirate and something more, something so much more. His lips, full and soft, formed words so beautiful, tears welled in her eyes as she memorized his expression in this moment.

" _We can sail away tonight on a sea of pure moonlight  
We can navigate the stars to bring us back home  
In a place so far away  
We'll be young, that's how we'll stay  
Every wish is our command  
When we find ourselves in Never, Neverland"_

When he stopped singing, it was as though all the breath was sucked from her lungs. She was existing in a vacuum, devoid of life and feeling. The world without Harry's song was empty now and she sank down in the sand next to him.

He slowly turned his head to face her, looking at her from under heavy-lidded eyes. A slow smile unfurled across his lips and Melody had the fleeting thought that perhaps that smile was even more beautiful than his song.

"Yer a wee bit late, lass. Party's over and I'm afraid all yeh've found is little old me."

It took a long time for Melody to find words, her throat was locked tight. But Harry waited patiently, those piercing eyes fixed on her.

Somewhere in the back of her brain, a voice was telling her she should leave, but all she found herself saying was, "that was beautiful."

And as though she was being pulled by an invisible string, she was leaning closer to him, unable to control the sudden urge to feel his touch on her skin.

"Thank yeh, lass," he said, "If yeh liked the song, I could teach it to yeh. I've heard yeh have quite the singing voice yerself."

She looked down at his hands, wishing he would bring one to her face and trace her cheek like he had before she'd gone postal and punched him in the face. Her brain went fuzzy and before she knew what she was doing, she was reaching for him and running her hand on the back of his forearm, tracing his leather bands, trailing a light touch along the edge of his fingerless gloves.

His eyes flicked down to their hands and back to her face. "Yeh told me in class today naw to touch yeh again, but me self-control is only so strong, lass."

"You had no trouble touching me when you had me pinned to the dresser," she reminded him.

"Now, that's naw fair and yeh know it. That was self-defense and naethin' more."

"Well, then I take it back."

He licked his lips and leaned down toward her ear. "Take what back?"

He was teasing her now. He had to be. He knew full well what she was trying to say, but wanted her to say the words out loud. She had the vague feeling that this should bother her much more than it did at the moment, but with her mind still buzzing with sensations and her skin screaming for his touch, coherent thought was just out of reach.

"You have permission to touch me, Harry Hook."

His eyes crinkled at the edges with his smile this time, and he turned his hand over, placing it palm up on his knee, offering it to her.

She took it, interlacing their fingers and a warmth bubbled inside of her. Harry used his free hand to trace lines up and down the back of her hand, and she felt herself melt around the edges as they both stared into the flames. She leaned in closer to him, breathing in leather and rugged spice, focusing on his breathing, the waves, and the crackling fire.

Soon, she craved even more and she turned to look at him. He really did cast a striking profile, a strong jaw, straight nose, and a pout that was far too pretty for a pirate. He caught her staring, giving her a look out of the corner of his eye and she wondered what he would taste like. She bit her bottom lip, drawing closer to find out.

"Me mum always was a good singer." His voice jolted her back to reality and she settled back into a sitting position, wondering what in the seas was going on with her. But if Harry thought she was acting weird, he didn't say a thing about it. He just carried on with his story. "Least that's what the crew always said. Dad wouldn't talk about her much, but Smee told me stories enough."

And Melody found herself wondering what life was like for him back on the island. She couldn't imagine Captain Hook as a very loving father, and if his mother wasn't around… Melody wondered what happened to her.

"Your mom…" she started, not knowing how to finish such a sensitive question.

She had done it again. Unable to simply let something go, her curiosity forcing her to ask awkward questions as usual. She looked to Harry, hoping she hadn't crossed a line and upset him.

"Died before I could remember," he said, seeming unphased by the question. He was looking at her with those same expressive eyes, not missing a beat as he continued to offer a light touch on her hand.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Dinnae be," he said, simple as that.

His gaze drifted from her face, up to the stars and she wondered what he was thinking about, but she didn't have the courage to ask that question. She asked another one instead, one that had been bothering her since the first time she laid eyes on him.

"Why do you carry that hook wherever you go?"

"Why do yeh wear that locket wherever _yeh_ go?" he echoed.

She'd never thought of it like that. Was it a comfort thing, like her locket? A connection to his identify, to his father?

His gaze dropped to her neck, to her locket. "I bet yeh cou'dnae go a full day without that necklace, eh lass?"

"I can go longer than you could without your hook," she challenged.

"Oh really?" he said, rolling the 'r' with that thick brogue of his and curling his lip into a smile. "Care to make a wager?"

She hesitated, sensing that glimmer of mischief again. But his gentle touch, now exploring the tender skin of her palm, tracing every line he found, soothed away any suspicion.

"If I win, yeh let me choose which reef we study for the oceanography project," he said.

Here she thought he would wager something valuable. He was a pirate after all. Jewels, gold, the locket itself even. Why did he care which reef they studied?

"And if I win," she thought about it. What could he offer her that she didn't have? She thought back to everything that had happened today. Their fight, the R.O.A.R. practice, and she had the perfect idea. "You teach me how to fight. Sword fighting, self-defense. All of it."

"A fair trade, lass," he said, pushing himself to stand and pulling her up with him. He looked down at her, his dark tousled hair whipping around in the sea breeze as he pressed his hook into her hand.

She took it, before turning her back to him and lifting her ponytail to reveal the clasp at her neck. His featherlight touch caused her skin to buzz with electricity as he opened the clasp and pulled her locket free.

A jolt of panic coursed through her. What was she doing? She couldn't let him have the locket, even if it was for a bet, she had to -

He tugged on her hand, turning her to face him. She looked up at those moonlit eyes and he smiled, dragging a light touch of his fingers down her cheek and she forgot what she was so worried about.

"I'll guard it with me life," he promised.

His eyes traced over the locket before he placed it delicately in an inner coat pocket.

She blinked, struggling to remember how language worked again. "And I'll hook anyone who dares to try and pry this from my grasp," she said, brandishing his prized weapon with as threatening a glare as she could muster.

"After what I saw back at me room today, I dinnae doubt that for one second."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry's song in this chapter is based on Neverland by Zendaya. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!


End file.
